Harry Reid's high-stakes climate bill gamble

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Reid’s own Democrats are mixed on the strategy for notching 60 votes.
AP Photo

The Democratic leader’s floor plan addresses a growing desire by the Obama administration to take swift action on any legislation that could prevent a future disaster like the Gulf Coast oil spill. Republicans who once would have resisted legislation that would impose new safety and environmental restrictions on the oil industry are now lining up in favor of such measures, in part to avoid being seen in the same light as Rep. Joe Barton, the Texas Republican who drew intense pressure from his own caucus after publicly apologizing to BP.

But Reid may also be playing with fire by pushing climate change provisions that nearly all Republicans have painted as an expensive new taxes and moderate Democrats see as an unpopular vote they’d rather avoid.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday that he would prefer that the focus remain on responding to the oil spill. Asked whether he’d be open to additional energy provisions, McConnell replied, “It depends entirely on what it looks like. If it’s a national energy tax, which is what cap and trade is, I think it’s not going to pass.”

Reid hasn’t settled yet on whether to push for a sweeping cap on greenhouse gases that covers multiple sectors of the economy — including power plants, transportation fuels and energy-intensive manufacturers of products like glass, cement, and pulp and paper — or a more limited approach that would deal with only power plants.

Additional clarity is expected when Reid leads a group of Senate Democrats and Republicans to the White House for a meeting with President Barack Obama, probably early next week. For now, some Democrats are pressing Reid to drop the entire carbon-cap plan and instead go forward with a nationwide renewable electricity standard.

A carbon cap “will be difficult to achieve at this stage given the current circumstances,” said Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.). “But I do think it’s possible we can make progress on an energy bill that begins to make progress on the climate issue. But the clock is ticking.”

Daniel J. Weiss, a senior fellow at the left-leaning Center for American Progress Action Fund, said Reid needs to force members of his caucus to take the climate vote just as he did earlier this year on health care reform.

Weiss said, “There are some Democrats who have made it clear they don’t want to have to vote on this — they’ve even told Reid they won’t vote for it. But when push comes to shove, they won’t be able to vote against it because of the other good stuff in there. The question is how many of those there are and how far they can push them.”

“The question is how many clothespin votes you can get if you add in oil safety — how many senators who don’t want to vote on energy or climate will hold their nose and do it because they have to,” Weiss said. “There are some Democrats who have made it clear they don’t want to have to vote on this — they’ve even told Reid they won’t vote for it. But when push comes to shove, they won’t be able to vote against it because of the other good stuff in there. The question is how many of those there are and how far they can push them.”

And 33% of the senate is up for election....that's all that needs to be said. Those that wish to try to retain their seats will vote no, those that don't, like Reid, will vote Yea....Americans gets to vote later this year.

Just keep the old boot on the back of our necks a little longer, ehh? The American people DO NOT support your fake climate schill any longer! Have you not heard of climate-gate? Lord what an old buffoon.

Harry Reid may think he has enough name recognition to ram through cap and trade legislation, but his son Rory has left out his last name in a recent political ad for his own campaign for governor. I'm not sure what planet Harry lives on, but it appears that Rory Reid has beamed up to the mother ship, while hapless Harry wallows in his wanton, wishful and clueless wasteland.

Reid has a Kamakazi attitude at this point. He's a danger to America and will gurantee the end of the Democrat Party. If they've decided to be Communists then they can go down in flames in defeat.

Americans were able to rebuild Japan and we'll rebuild America after we rid oirselves of these diseased Demo-rats. They saw the polls and they know they are going down but just like other selfish suicides they are going to take as many of us with them as they can out of pure spite.

These are not nice compassionate people. They are relentlessly radical and don't give a damn what they wreck. The gulf oil cleanup effort shows us exactlt who they are. They are pumping oil into the gulf deliberately for their own purposes.

That's good. Let the Republicans all vote "no" on any energy and environmental legislation. That's quite a record they are building up now--apologies to BP, no regulation of Wall Street and unlimited donations from big business interests.

They should hide their heads in shame for this record. They deserve to get about 5% of the vote.

Im convinced that those who support cap and trade/climate bill, or whatever they're calling it now, hate poor people--even if they dont realize it. Cap and trade, from what i understand of it, is nothing but a tax on coal. Since the majority of americans receive their electricity from coal then electricity will skyrocket. I dont know about other people, but my electrect is about 100 month. I can barely afford that. I wont be able to afford my electric when it "necisarilly skyrockets" to quote the president. Im sure millions of families with children wont be able to either.

I can barely afford food each month as it is, and I already dont buy meat because I cant afford it, with cap and trade produce foods will skyrocket as well. After all, a grocery store has to pay for its bills and it only does that if it makes a profit on what it sells. Imagine the millions of poor families who will have to re-evaluate their food list just so they can aford food to stay on budget.

Cap and trade will hurt poor people and most likely put many small business out of business because they cant keep their prices low enough for consumers to purchas their product/service while still affording to pay for the elctricity needed to run the store. There goes jobs.

After writing this, I'm begining to feel cap and trade isnt about the enviornment, but getting the tax payers to be government dependent (more so than we already are). After all, if businesses close and there are no jobs and people cant aford food and electricity and heat and all those glorious features, they will end up seeking the government for help, because the governement will be the only one left to help.

And for those of you who say "this is why we need to end our dependency and switch to green energy." how about you think of this, currently green energy is government subsidised and is not yet efficient enough to take the place of coal or fossil fuels or whatever that makes our energy so cheap. If we switch before the technology is developed enough to sustain itself, it will destory our country. Going green before we're ready is like driving over a bridge when it only half way built. Im sure its a good bridge, but until it's built, driving on it is suicide.

That's good. Let the Republicans all vote "no" on any energy and environmental legislation. That's quite a record they are building up now--apologies to BP, no regulation of Wall Street and unlimited donations from big business interests.

They should hide their heads in shame for this record. They deserve to get about 5% of the vote.

So we the American Public are to believe that this same Congress who oversees the failed to regulate MMS office, now being broken up, and understaffed with only 60 inspectors according to Salazar's testimony,, anyway this same Dem led Congress is going to deliver a climate Bill that is comprehensive? Naaaaaaaawwww, during the biggest debaucle of an oil spill in the Gulf now just hitting Florida beaches? What are they thinking? America actually believes in Congress? No, so evidently Congress never reads polls, Harry Reid never reads anything about what Americans think.

Gore gets massages and buys mansions, Obama replaces his appointed General with a Bush general, and the Gulf oil spill is a disaster so it makes sense with this out of date out of touch Congress to push a climate Bill thru, with the economy bad and no jobs........ this is like a really bad b movie.

That's good. Let the Republicans all vote "no" on any energy and environmental legislation. That's quite a record they are building up now--apologies to BP, no regulation of Wall Street and unlimited donations from big business interests.

They should hide their heads in shame for this record. They deserve to get about 5% of the vote.

what does climate change legislation have to do with what is happening in the gulf?this reaks of pure political opportunism.

We need an energy bill that injects energy into' ho hum 'lethargic looking Harry. Have you ever seen someone who looks like they need a major injection of caffeine more than this guy? I haven't either.

these politicians from both parties are just plain jokes.no budget will be passed this year,no agreement of the Prez. request for supplemental funding for the troops.so what does Harry do?he rolls out climate legislation.if there anyone more tone deaf than this guy?

what does climate change legislation have to do with what is happening in the gulf?this reaks of pure political opportunism.

Time is running out for Globull scamming. Obama and the mutant Reid both know that this is the last hurrah, probably for ever, to get this odious nonsense passed. Reid knows pretty much also that his days in the glow of the senate realm are numbered also...in fact he can feel the heat from the political toaster at home from a virtual unknown already so he going for broke and make a last futile attempt to take one in the rear for the Obummer! It doesn't matter the effect upon the state of the economy and the Gulf Oil spill? Pffffft! Who cares! We're above that sort of thing as Royal Ass elitist democrat senators!